By Junrey J. Moncada

Luke 13:10-17 “And He was teaching in one of the synagogue on the sabbath. And behold, there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed together, and could in no wise lift up herself. And when Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity. And he laid His hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God. And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because that Jesus had healed on the sabbath day, and said unto the people. There are six days in which men ought to work: in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the sabbath day. The Lord answered him, and said, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him away to watering? And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?And when he has said these things, all his adversaries were ashamed: and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him”.

This is an actual story happened during the earthly ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. The context here was while Christ teaching at the synagogue he saw this woman in here miserable condition who needed a healing on that very moment as the great healer knew that she suffers for eighteen years from the spirit that gave her infirmities. The situation of this women is symbolical to us, it represents to every sinner who needed a healing from the spirit of captivity and dominion of sin. Here we will give you a comparison of this woman to a sin sick sinner as we expound each passages of this scriptures.

I- Christ the teacher– verse 10.
The great Rabbi (Matt. 23:8)
The teacher from God spoke things not of himself but from the FATHER (Jn. 3:2; 12:49-50)
The living Word of God who is God manifested in the flesh (Jn.1:1,14)
Having an authority (Mk.1:22) who teach according from the scriptures (Matt.22:29; Luke 24:27,45)

II- The woman who had the spirit of infirmity-verse 11

The spirit that made the woman’s infirmity is refer to Satan (Luke13:16), which is allowed by God like what happened to Job.

We can see here that the woman was not only suffered the infirmities in her body but also to her soul(1Jn.4:4), her soul was under in the captivity of Satan and dominion of sin (2Tim.2:26)and her body was agonize by the spirit of infirmity, yet she appeared religious but dead spiritually in trespasses and sins(Eph.2:1).

A lot of religious men and women are very much alike this woman who appeared in professing as Christians and yet unsaved. They thought that they are saved by their good deeds, membership in the church, baptism, observance of the law like this woman, or by own decision to come to Christ,but somehow dead in trespasses and sins. Christ said “Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven”(Matt.7:21) “If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself”(Jn.7:17)

The infirmity of this women is symbolically represents a sin sick soul of man whose spirit is dead in trespasses and sins(Eph. 2:1-3), that the soul is impossible to cure by itself like what happened to this woman who suffers eighteen years of her infirmity.

Because of her infirmity she can in no wise lift up herself. This shows to us our inability to saved ourselves, that we need a healer who can heal us from this bitterness of sin and from this total depravity of this sinful nature we inherited from Adam. King David said; “ Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak; O Lord heal me, for my bones are troubled”(Psa.6:2). “ Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases” (Psa.103:3). Prophet Jeremiah knows that God is his only healer and saviour of his sin sick soul, “Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise”.(Jer.17:14).

III- Jesus saw and called her- verse 12.

In compassion Jesus Christ saw the miserable situation of the woman and in the same manner Christ also look at our sufferings, our grief and pain, He knows our situation, and He knows our infirmities. “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but as in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin”(Heb.4:15).

Christ as the Good Shepherd having compassion to His sheep(Mk.6:34), that neither suffer one of them should lose from Him(Lk.15:4-5, Jn.6:39), that He gave His life to save the lost sheep(Jn. 10:11), that they may return to the Shepherd and Bishop of their souls(1Pet.2:2).

Christ not only watched the woman but also called her. This is also a paradigm to us sinners, that we are not only being compassionately watched of our infirmities being left alone but as an elect sinners to be called out from darkness into His marvellous light(1Pet.2:9). A calling of healing and peace in His presence.An inward calling of salvation and healing of the weak soul, a call to holiness.“Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began” (2Tim.1:9).

“Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity”. In that instance Christ exercise His Lordship and power over this spirit of infirmity. We read also in other passages Christ not only heal a physically feebled man but he also forgive sins“And when He saw their faith, He said unto him, Man, thy sins are forgiven thee… But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power upon the earth to forgive sins,(He said unto the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy couch, and go into thine house.”(Luke 5:20,24). Applying to our sin sick soul Christ not only loosened our soul from the bondage of sin but He also forgive us from our trespasses and sins in all of our lifetime, “By that which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all…But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God”(Heb.10:10 & 12).

Loosen from infirmity of this woman’s body is not a hard thing for Christ to do, so likewise He can heal our sin sick soul from the bondage of sin “Jesusanswered, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin… If the Son of man therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”(Jn. 8:34 &36).

Remember all manner of physical sickness Christ can heal (Matt.8:16-17), and that is the same to our sin sick soul. Christ can heal it out! Clean it out! Whatever kind or how grievous our sins may be, Christ save sinners through His precious blood “…washed us from our sins in His own blood”(Rev.1:5) “Come now, let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool”(Isa.1:18).

He turn a chief of sinners into a great saint like apostle Paul (1Tim.1:12-14), Christ sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made righteousness of God in Him (2Cor.5:21).

IV- Christ laid His hand and the woman healed.

Christ laid his hand. Christ is working for the healing of this woman’s infirmity. He works the work of God without restriction as His adversaries opposed Him because that was the Sabbath day of the Jews ( verse 14,17). “ My Father worketh hitherto, and I work” (Jn.5:17). Christ is not setting an example for us to work our usual works like on the usual working days during every worship day, but what Christ showed us that we should give effort to glorify God in the day intended to Him alone. There is a commandment to every worshipper of God should do, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching” (Heb.10:25).

God is working irresistibly. He work to change the deprave stony heart into a heart of flesh (Ezek. 36:26), He works for the salvation of His people (Matt.1:21), for the salvation of our souls(1Pet.1:9).

Remember the healing of this woman is not her own work and in like manner the healing of the sin sick soul is not our work but solely work of God; “…It is not of Him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy”(Rom.9:16), “Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began (2Tim.1:9); “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Spirit”; “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Eph.2:8-10).

So sinners God is still working in you today “ …Now is the day of salvation (2Cor. 6:2). He works within you to give you repentance (2Tim.2:25), and the grace of believing (Acts 18:27), and make you willing to come Him in the day of His power (Psa.110:3), That him that come to Christ shall be in no wise cast out (Jn.6:37).